Cobaw Ridge Il Pinko 2017
Gee I’m tired of the accent in rosé.
A few days into a print article on the pink stuff and that annoying é can officially get in the bin. Sorry everyone, I’m now writing about roses, give me your bouquet tips!
The other rosé, however, is officially the fastest growing category in the wine industry. We’re talking somewhere between 50-65% YOY depending on which figures you believe. In other words, it’s a style going nuts.
For all the growth, there is still very little ‘great’ Australian rosé. Sure, you could say that ‘great rosé’ is an oxymoron, but there are truly beautiful Provence wines out there to show that such a thing is possible (and delicious).
Speaking of delicious, given that I’m on a Macedon bent the last few days here is a local rosé that is not only interesting but fine in the Cobaw Ridge Il Pinko 2017.
Sourced from Cobaw Ridge’s biodynamic vineyard at Cobaw Ridge in the northern end of the Macedon Ranges, Il Pinko a Shiraz-based rosé, though not sure you’d pick it as Shiraz. Part fermented in old oak and part in qvevri, the style here is sort of Provence natural wine with some light red leanings. It’s cloudy/pale and you’d still drink it cold, but the body makes this Something More.
What I like is that, despite the early picked fruit, it’s not harsh at all. Rather, the opposite – it’s gentle at the edges with lightly creamy strawberry fruit, softened with a little oxidative nutty flourish. There’s still no mistaking the cool clime acidity, and the pithy phenolics signal the skin contact, but I didn’t see hardness. Indeed there’s this strawberry fruit and leesy unfiltered creaminess that just makes the finish even more palatable.
Sure, the cloudy, sweet/sour nature of this might turn off some rosé drinkers. But if you appreciate texture and aren’t scared by things like orange wine (plenty of myopic winemakers who are scardy cats), then this is a satisfying drink.
Big fan.
Best drinking: now and into next year. 18/20, 93/100. 11.5%, $36. Would I buy it? Yes. It’s delicious.
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Comment
Yes – I’ve always enjoyed this wine. Such great texture and and mouth feel.